The Texas Rangers scored 20 runs while the Anaheim Angels scored three runs.
Maybe it’s too little, maybe it’s too late, but who’s going to argue with the Rangers beating the crap out of the hated Angels? Not me.
Unlike many games this season, which has put the squad in their current precarious position, the Rangers bruised the ball early and often. Tonight’s game included four runs in the first inning, three more in the second, and four more in the fourth for Texas. An inning later, the Rangers scored another run and it seemed like they were prepared to coast to a fairly standard blowout win.
However their biggest inning was yet to come as the Rangers scored a whopping eight runs in the seventh inning against two different position player pitchers to turn the game from a laugher to an embarrassment for Anaheim. If you count ’em all up, that gave Texas 20 runs, their most in a game since 2011.
Tonight’s game was supposed to be a Nathan Eovaldi start before a shoulder issue all but assuredly ended his fantastic year prematurely. The Rangers hadn’t lost a game started by Eovaldi in exactly three months. They certainly didn’t lose this one either as Jacob Latz stepped in and tossed 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits in a spot start.
But pitching pretty much didn’t matter. In what has been too rare of an occurrence this season, it was the lineup that took the reins and guided the Rangers to an easy win. With it, the Rangers claimed this final series of the year against the Angels, which propelled them back over .500 by a game.
Player of the Game: There’s a whole buffet of candidates tonight. Adolis Garcia had a four of hits, scored thrice, and drove in five runs. El Bombi’s first inning, three-run dinger was likely the biggest hit of the night as it set the tone for Texas after the Angels had gone up 1-0 in the top of the frame.
Joc Pederson is in danger of reaching 20 RBI this season by the end of September if he stays hot. That sounds bleak — and, well, it is — but he was sitting at six RBI coming into this month. With seven RBI in August coming into this game, Pederson added an additional five RBI with a two hit night, including his seventh home run of the season.
Wyatt Langford had a couple of hits, a couple of walks, reached via a HBP, and scored four runs as he continued his hot August. Meanwhile, Corey Seager also had two hits, a walk, and hit his team-leading 21st homer while scoring three of Texas’ 20 runs.
Up Next: The Rangers have one of their last days off during the regular season on Thursday before opening up a series in West Sacramento against the Athletics on Friday night.